Headgear



R. W. GLASS April 26, 1960 HEADGEAR Filed July is. 1958 FIG. 5

INVENTOR ROBERT W. GLASS HEADGEAR Robert W. Glass, Adamstowu, Pa.

Application July 16, 1958, Serial No. 748,874

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-9) The present invention relates generally to headgear and more particularly to an improved structure for use in supporting a face mask or eye shield.

A mechanic in a shop repairing heavy equipment may perform many tasks. In carrying out some of these tasks the use of an eye shield may be required for safety. For example, during a working day the mechanic may have to use an acetylene torch in which case he will need a face mask having a colored eye shield. Later he may have to do some machining of a part in which case he will want to shield his face from flying metal chips. While a colored eye shield is desirable when using a hand torch, it is not particularly suitable for machining, a white, transparent shield being more suitable. In both cases, the wearing of an eye shield may be uncomfortable because of perspiration forming on the forehead of the worker and running down his face. While such perspiration is more of a problem in hot weather or in an area which is continuously hot, such as in a shop having heat treat equipment, perspiration may be a problem for some workers even in a cool environment, the perspiration resulting from the laborious nature of the work. Workers who wear eye glasses under face shields find the perspiration problem particularly annoying since the moisture tends to steam their glasses and otherwise interfere with their work.

, Heretofore, forehead engageable sweatbands have been provided for use by workers to obviate the above problem. It has been known to use a sweatband in connection with a structure supporting a face mask or eye shield. However, prior structures have been deficient in many respects. The sweatbands become rapidly filled with perspiration and lose their effectiveness. To replace them is time consuming. Moreover, generally no provision is made for workers who must wear eye glasses with their masks or shields. Further, prior structures fail to take into account that while a given face mask may be suitable for one task, it may not be suitable for another task.

A main object of this invention is to provide head- .gear having a forehead engageable sweatband which is mountable and/ or detachable in a matter of seconds with little effort,

Another object of this invention is to provide headgear of the character described having a plurality of different kinds of face masks selectively mountable on a frame of the headgear. I

Another object of this invention is to provide headgear of the character described having provision for evaporation of moisture from the sweatband while the headgear is being worn.

Another object of this invention is to provide headgear of the character described having a sweatband which may be used, then washed, rinsed and dried out for use again.

Another object of this invention is to provide headgear of the character described constructed for quick adiustability to suit the head of the particular wearer.

A still further object of this invention is to provide headgear of the character described of such construction that eye glasses may be comfortably worn while wearing the headgear.

A still further object of this invention is to provide headgear of the character described which can be manufactured, assembled and sold at low cost.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent hereafter from the specification and from the recital in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of headgear constructed according to this invention, a mask normally mounted thereon being removed to better illustrate the structure employed;

Fig, 2 is a perspective view of the sweatband used'on the headgear;

.Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 showing a face mask or eye shield mounted thereon;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing details of the mask mounting; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the face mask in elevated position.

Referring now to the drawing by numerals of reference and particularly to Fig. 1, l0 denotes a headgear rame made from a piece of plastic, metal or other material having a limited amount of resiliency and flexibility. Frame 10 is rectangular in shape having an outside 111, an inside 12 (Figs. 4 and 5) and lateral side edges 14. Hinged at 15 to each side edge 14 is a temple member 16 made of light gage metal formed and crimped to provide a socket 18 for the reception of an ear hook 19. Each ear hook has a friction fit in its socket 18 whereby it may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly to vertically extending support rod 21 threaded at its upper end into a metal tube 22 mounted on frame 10. Tube 22 is disposed in the middle section of the frame and brazed or otherwise fastened in place.

On opposite sides of tube 22 are elongate, horizontally extending openings or slots 24-. Openings 24 are provided for detachably fastening a sweatband 25 to frame 1ft. Sweatband 25 is essentially the same size and shape as frame 10, having however a much greater thickness to thereby space the frame from the wearers forehead. The band is made of a resilient, moisture absorbent material such a foam rubber. It is provided with a pair of protrusions 26 spaced the same as openings 24, and of such size relative to the openings, that by placing the sweatband against the inside 12 of the frame with the protrusions aligned with the openings, and then pressing, the protrusions may be forced through the openings. On passing through the openings, the protrusions are compressed. However, as they emerge on the outside of the frame they expand, thereby providing a readily detachable connection to the frame. trusions may have grooves 27 at their inner-ends to receive frame 19 and improve the connection between the sweatband and frame;

According to this invention, frame It is provided with a plurality of lightweight face masks or eye shields such as that shown at 36 each mask being different except for a common mounting means.

One mask may be made of a colored transparent material for use in torch work. Another may be made of The pro a white transparent material for machine work. As many other types may be provided as specific working situations may require.

Each mask hasa frame 31 (Figs. 3-5) across its upper end which carries a pair of laterally spaced sockets 32 adapted to resiliently receive balls 34 riveted or otherwise fastened to frame on opposite sides of tube 22. Preferably, each socket 32 is such as to provide a pivot whereby when a given mask is connected to frame 10 it may hang down when in use (Fig. 4), or be swung up and outwardly relative to the face of the wearer when not in use (Fig. 5). Enough friction is provided between the socket 32 and ball 34 to hold the mask elevated.

The thickness of the sweatband is such that when a mask is worn and pivoted to a down position, there is suflicient space between the mask and the face of the wearer to permit the wearing of eye glasses when the headgear is worn.

When used, the worker takes the headgear and adjusts the ear hooks 19 and nasal pad 20 to fit. He applies a fresh, clean, dry sweatband to frame 19, and a selected face mask. When in place, the headgear is comfortable because of its adjusted fit. if the worker begins to perspirc, the perspiration which would ordinarily form on his forehead and eventually run down into his eyes and face will be absorbed by the sweatband.

Such moisture will permeate the sweatband and pass through slots 24 to the protrusions 26. Since such protrusions extend forwardly and outside of frame 10, the moisture is subject to evaporation, and the sweatband will last longer before it becomes saturated. When filled with moisture, the wearer merely ha to snap out the used sweatband and snap in a fresh new spare. At the end of the day, or when the occasion permits, the used sweatbands can be washed, wnlng out and dried for subsequent use.

Moreover, in very hot Working conditions, a worker can remove the sweatband from his headgear, rinse it out in cold water, replace it and then use the headgear with a cooling effect, a coo-l band of material extending across his forehead.

Since the sweatband catches and absorbs head moisture and prevents it from running down into the eyes and face of the wearer, and because of the spacing of the mask from the wearers face, eye glasses may be comfortably worn.

The structure described is relatively simple. There are few parts which can be easily fabricated and inexpensively assembled. Therefore, the headgear can be sold at low cost. Nevertheless, the invention overcomes a heretofore irksome problem, allowing Workers in hot, humid conditions to labor with much less discomfort.

While the invention has been described for use by a mechanic, it might likewise be usable by many individuals, such as plumbers, carpenters, stone masons, heat treat workers and the like. Even sportsmen, such as a ball player requiring an eye shield, can use the device. Further, while the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification without departing from the spirit of the invention, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses and adaptations as come within the scope of this invention and the limits of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

Headgear for a wearer of glasses comprising a frame positionable adjacent the forehead of the wearer and having an inside, an outside, a middle section, a pair of lateral side edges and a pair of laterally spaced slots on opposite side respectively of said middle section, a sweatband mountable on said frame against said inside, said sweatband being made of resilient absorbent material and having a pair of protrusions registering with and projecting through said slots to detachably connect said sweatband to said frame, each of said slots extending from adjacent said middle section to adjacent one of said lateral edges and being of such width that a substantial portion of said sweatband is exposed outside and forwardly of said frame whereby forehead moisture may pass outwardly freely through each slot and be subjected to evaporation, a face mask, means pivotally connecting said face mask to said outside of said frame, said face mask hanging normally downwardly and said sweatband being of such thickness that the mask is spaced from the face of the wearer to provide room for glasses, a nasal pad disposed below said frame and inside said mask, means connecting said nasal pad to said middle section of said frame for vertical adjustment relative thereto, and means connected to said frame for attaching the frame to the head of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,905,675 Baker Apr. 25, 1933 2,060,127 Schofield Nov. 10, 1936 2,100,553 Schutt Nov. 30, 1937 2,418,376 Turner Apr. 1, 1947 2,634,416 Fehrs Apr. 14, 1953 

